7 ways to engage your students and celebrate earth day All Month Long
Here at One Tree Planted, we believe that making sure environmental education is accessible to today’s students is one of the most important investments we can make for a better tomorrow. We’ve seen time and time again just how important it is for the next generation to learn about nature, the environment and the importance of reforestation.
Because climate change and its very real impacts can be a scary topic for kids to learn about, we find that providing education and resources for positive actions they can take, today, is a better approach. That way, learning about the environment and the role we play can be a fun and inspiring experience!
Check out these 7 Earth Month Activities For your classroom!
1. Plant Trees
Starting a tree from seed and nurturing it until it is mature enough to plant in the ground is a very rewarding experience for kids and adults alike. Consult with a local native gardening center to determine what tree species would be the most beneficial to plant in your area. This is a great opportunity for students to have a tangible, hands-on lesson about how trees grow.
2. Get Your Hands Dirty
Volunteer to plant trees, remove invasive plants, restore landscapes and more this Earth Month. We have volunteer events around the world, but if there isn’t one in your area, you can always contact your local park service or ecological restoration group for opportunities to volunteer locally. If you can’t find anything there, grab a pair of gloves and get out for a trash clean up in your neighborhood!
3. Share Your Knowledge
Create an information campaign at your school to help share ways that anyone can make a difference. Choose your medium and have students create posters, signs, videos, fliers and more about recycling, saving electricity, reducing waste, reforestation, or any other environmental topic that you are passionate about!
5. Create Green Teams!
Divide your class into green teams. Have each team choose an environmental action that they will be responsible for in the classroom. This could include recycling, composting, turning off the lights, reduce water waste, etc. This will give students a feeling of ownership and stewardship!
6. Celebrate With Art!
Collect used materials that would otherwise be thrown away and turn them into beautiful new pieces of art to help showcase and celebrate the beauty of our nature and our planet.
7. Make A Pledge!
Join our Make a Pledge challenge (part of our T.R.E.E.S. School Program)! Have everyone pledge to do one small thing for the environment each day. At the end of the challenge, put them all together to show the collective impact your class made!
So there you have it: 7 ways to engage your classroom with Earth Day! Want to extend your environmental impact beyond April 22? Plant a tree today!